Container for cigarette packages or the like



Dec. 3, 1946. M. VOGEL 7 2,411,946

3422 7/ 25 1 1 I I I i.

l m s I l I I a -4f; I Z011 I' -w l 4 I I 3x g I I /0"' ..I I a I 'I I76 I I 7 .I

IN TOR MAX 5 D GEL. BY Mm.

' ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1946 COlNTAlNER FOR CIGARETTE PACKAGES OR THE LIKE Max Vogel, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application July 28, 1944, Serial No. 546,958

3 Claims. (01. 206-41) The present invention relates to a container for a cigarette package or the like, and has for an object to provide a protective container for receiving the well-known popular type of cigarette package having a soft paper wrapper, in such a manner as to effectually protect the cigarettes while being carried in the pocket.

A further object is to provide a container, including a receptacle part and a cover part, which will enable the top of the cigarette package to be torn on to completely expose the ends of the cigarettes, and which will at the same time provide in the closed position of the cover part a protective closure out of contact with the cigarette ends, so that they will not become crushed or torn.

Another object is to provide a containe including a receptacle part and a cover part hingedly connected together, wherein the receptacle part has open spaces at the upper ends of its front and back walls to expose the upper ends of the cigarettes, sothat they may be conveniently gripped by the fingers and removed, and has upwardly extending guard portions at the upper ends of its side walls to protect the upper ends of the cigarettes against contact of the cover part therewith during opening and closing of the container.

A further object is to provide spring means within the container adapted to exert compressive pressure upon the cigarette package, or other contents of the container, in a manner to prevent relative movement of such contents, so that as they are gradually removed the increasingly fewer number remaining in the package are held against shaking about. The spring means is further adapted to retain the cigarettes against contact of their upper ends with the cover part of the container, thus preventing their mutilation and loss of tobacco.

A further object is to provide a container of extremely attractive appearance, which may have its receptacle and cover parts conveniently constructed from moulded plastic parts, and which includes hinge means and catch means formed as integral parts of the receptacle and cover parts.

A further object is to provide improved spring means for exerting Opening pressure upon the cover, and which is conveniently assembled with the receptacle and cover parts through interlocking assembly of the latter, such assembly being carried out without the use of rivets or other extraneous parts. To this end it is particularly proposed to utilize the inherent resiliency and yieldability of the walls of the receptacle and cover parts, formed of moulded plastic or other v I 2 similar material, to enable the receptacle and cover parts and the spring means to be interlockingly connected, and also to provide a releasable catch means to retain the cover in closed position.

A further object is to provide a container which may be conveniently operated by one hand to open and close the cover part, the opening operation being carried out simply by pressing the resiliently yieldable front and rear walls of the receptacle part, and the closing operation being carried out simply by pressing the cover part into closed position, where it is automatically retained by the catch means.

A further object is to provide a container having a continuously smooth outer surface, free from projecting hinge, catch, or other operating parts, such as are found on .the usual cigarette container.

Another object is to provide a novel form of spring means in the form of a one-piece spring member, including a spring part for actuating the cover to open position and a spring part for exerting compressive pressure upon the cigarette package.

With the above and other objects in view, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a container, according to one embodiment of the invention, the same being shown in closed position.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. I.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, in open position, and showing acigarette package engaged therein.

Fig. '7 is an end view, in open position.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view showing the container in open position'and without a cigarette package therein.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view showing the container in openposition and with a cigarette package therein.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention, the same being shown in closed position.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation thereof, in open pcsition.

Referring to the drawings, the container for a cigarette package or the like, according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9, comprises a receptacle part, indicated generally as III, and a cover part, indicated generally as II, hinged together, these parts being of generally rectangular form and preferably formed of moulded plastic material, which material. in addition to being relatively hard and stiff has a limited degree of resilient yieldability, particularly in the case of relatively thin wall areas such as form part of the present structure, and as will presently more fully appear.

The receptacle part III of the container comprises a rectangular base I2, a rectangular front wall IS, a rectangular rear wall I4 of substantially the same height as the front wall and rectangular side walls I5 and I6, projecting above the front and rear walls. The front and rear walls are recessed at their upper portions across their width, as at I1, to receive the front and rear walls of the cover in flush relation, and the upper ends of the side walls I5 and I6 are recessed, as at I8, to receive side wall portions of the cover part, as will presently more fully appear.

The inner surfaces of the front and rear walls I3 and I4 are provided at their upper ends and adjacent the side wall I5 with pockets |9-|9 for receiving mounting portions of the spring member in flush relation, as will presently more fully appear, and within these pocket portions the front and rear walls are provided with pivot bearing holes -20. In substantially lateral line with the holes 20, and substantially centrally between the side walls I5 and I6, the recessed portions I! of the side walls are provided with catch receiving holes 2|, entrance grooves 22 extending between these holes and the upper edges of the front and rear walls. These entrance grooves are inclined outwardly toward their lower ends for guiding the catch portions of the cover part into engagement with the holes 2|, as will presently more fully appear.

The cover part II comprises a rectangular top wall 23, rectangular front and rear walls 24 and 25, and relatively short rectangular side walls '26 and 21, these latter being in the nature of lips adapted in the closed position of the cover to engage within the recesses I8 in the upper ends of the side walls of the receptacle part. The. front and rear walls 24 and 25 of the cover part are each provided in their lower corners adjacent the side wall 26 with inwardly projecting cylindrical pivot bearing studs 28, these corners of the front and rear walls being concentrically curved with respect to the studs 28, as at 29. In the assembled relation of the cover part with the receptacle part these studs engage within the holes 20 to thus provide-a pivot hinge connection between the cover part and the receptacle part. Because of the resilient yieldability of the front and rear walls of the cover part, due in part to the inherent nature of the moulded plastic material of which the cover part is preferably formed, and in part to the short side walls 26 and 21 which permit inward and outward bending movement of the front and rear walls, the studs 28 may been'gaged with the holes 20 simply by springing the front and rear walls outwardly and thus snapping the cover into place.

Also upon the inner sides of the front and rear walls of the cover part, and at substantially central points thereof, there are provided project- 4 ing studs 30 adapted to engage within the holes 2| to constitute catch means for retaining the :cover in closed position, these studs during the closing movement of the cover engaging the inclined surfaces of the grooves 22, and slightly compressing the receptacle walls and spreading the cover walls, thus permitting the studs to snap into cover retaining engagement with the holes 2|. In order to disengage the studs 30 from the holes 2| the front and rear walls of the receptacle part are-pressed inwardly, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, to the point where the studs are released from .the holes 2|,

the cover then being free to swing upwardly. It should be pointed out here that instead of the double catch means illustrated, a single catch means at either the front or rear wall may be provided, if desired.

Upward swinging movement is automatically imparted to the cover part by a spring. It will be understood, however, that the spring may be dispensed with, in which case the cover will be manually opened upon being released. The spring means employed consists of a vertically disposed base portion 3|, provided at each of its side edges with right angularly bent cars 32 having holes 33 therein, these ears being engaged in the pockets I9 upon the inner sides of the front and rear walls of the receptacle part, where the studs 28 of the cover part engage the holes 33 to thus interlockingly secure the spring in place. The vertically disposed base portion 3| is provided with an upwardly projecting leaf spring extension 34, preformed so that in its expanded state it is inclined upwardly and outwardly from the upper edge of the receptacle part to yieldably retain the cover in its open position, as shown in Fig. 6. In the closed position of the cover this spring extends at a right angle to the vertical base portion 3| beneath the top wall of the cover, as shown in Fig. 4, so that upon release of the retaining catch means the cover part will be automatically moved to its open position, as shown in Fig. 6.

One of the ears 32 of the spring is provided with a horizontally extending leaf spring extension 35 extending laterally across the upper portion of the receptacle part and preformed of angular shape, so that in its expanded state it projeots toward the opposed wall of the receptacle. When a package of cigarettes is placed in the container, as shown in Fig. 9, this leaf spring portion is compressed between the wall of the receptacle part and the side of the cigarette package, and exerts pressure upon the cigarette package to retain the cigarettes against looseness and to retain them from moving upwardly. Thus the upper ends of the cigarettes are prevented from contacting the cover .part so that they will not become crushed thereby when the cover is closed. As the cigarettes are gradually removed and an increasingly fewer number remain in the Package the spring will compress the package so as to retain these remaining cigarettes against looseness.

When a package of cigarettes is placed within the container its upper end is preferably torn off along the upper edges of the front and rear walls of the receptacle part, so that the upper ends of the cigarettes project above these upper wall edges where they can be conveniently gripped by the fingers for removal. The projection of the side walls I5 and I6 above the upper ends of the cigarettes protect the ends of the package against contact of the cover part therewith during opening and closing movement of the cover part, and

in the closed position of the cover part the engagement of its four wall portions in the recesses in thefour walls of the receptacle part effectually seals the container so that tobacco particles will not sift into the pocket. The container may be conveniently operated by one hand, being opened simply by pressing inwardly upon the front and rear walls of the receptacle part and being closed simply by pressing the cover into closed position where it is automatically retained through engagement of the catch studs 30 in the catch I 22 are suitably positioned within the recess portions II to receive the catch studs 30 of the cover. I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and'scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I- claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A container for a cigarette package or the like, comprising a receptacle part including a base, spaced parallel front and rear walls extending upwardly from said base, and side walls extend-' ing upwardly from said base and connecting said front and rear walls, a cover part comprising a top, and spaced parallel front and rear walls extending downwardly from said top and adapted to overlappingly engage the upper end portions of the front and rear walls of said receptacle part exteriorly, the front and rear walls of said cover part being resiliently yieldable, hinge means hingedly connecting said receptacle and cover parts comprising stud and pocket means respectively carried by said cover and receptacle parts and engageable and disengageable through yieldins of said resiliently yieldable front and rear walls, and a spring element including a mounting portion including apertured ears engaged within said receptacle part with said stud means engaged in the apertures thereof, and a leaf spring cover 2. A container for a cigarette package or the like, comprising a receptacle part including a base, spaced parallel front and rear walls extending upwardly from said base, and side walls extending upwardly from said base and connectin: said front and rear walls, a cover part comprising a top, and spaced parallel front and rear walls extending downwardly from said top and adapted to overlappingly engage the upper end portions of the front and rear walls of said receptacle part exteriorly, the front and rear walls of said cover part being resiliently yieldable, hinge means hingedly connecting said receptacle and cover parts comprising stud and pocket means respectively carried by said cover and receptacle parts and engageable and disengageable through yielding of said resiliently yieldable front and rear walls, and a spring element including a mounting portion including apertured ears engaged within said receptacle part with said stud means engaged in the apertures thereof, and a leaf spring portion projecting laterally across the interior of said receptacle part to exert compressive pressure upon a package inserted therein.

3. A container for a cigarette package or the like, comprising a receptacle part including a base, spaced parallel front and rear walls extending upwardly from said base, and side walls extending upwardly from said base and connecting said front and rear walls, a cover part comprising a top, and spaced parallel front and rear walls extending downwardly from said top and adapted to overlappingly engage the upper end portions of the front and rear walls of said receptacle part exteriorly, the front and rear walls of said cover part being resiliently yieldable, hinge means hingedly connecting said receptacle and cover parts comprising stud and pocket means respectively carried by said .cover and receptacle pants and engageable and disengageable through yielding of said resiliently yieldsure upon a package inserted therein.

MAX VOGEL. 

